House adopts compromise amendment on top 10 percent

The House is back to major business today, after a three-day slowdown.

First up is the bill to give the University of Texas relief from automatic admissions required under the top 10 percent law. This bill was first debated Thursday, but postponed. Then the “chubbing” designed to delay the voter ID bill began.

Lawmakers from a variety of districts — inner-city, rural, suburban — used the time to reach a compromise with leaders of the University of Texas. It would limit the flagship campus to filling 75 percent of its freshman class from students who finished in the top decile of their high school class. The remaining 25 percent of admissions would be discretionary. This would give UT some relief from the estimated 86 percent being admitted under top 10 percent law this year.

Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, said the compromise will retain the top 10 percent law for all other public universities. He said the relief provided to UT will allow it to fill nationally recognized programs in areas such as geosciences and education. Those areas have been negatively impacted by the 1997 law, enacted after a court ruling prevented race from being considered in admission decisions.

Hilderbran’s amendment was adopted on vote of 140-3. The change would begin in the fall of 2011.